Patents by Inventor RALF G.J. KNOLL

RALF G.J. KNOLL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11982882
    Abstract: A system for the color coding of objects in the field of view of a plurality of spectacle wearers includes a pair of spectacles per spectacle wearer. Liquid crystal cells of at least one spectacle lens of the spectacles are so designed that a transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cells may be switched between high and low transmission states. The system also includes one RGB light source per spectacle wearer and means for controlling or regulating the luminance times, color and intensity of the RGB light source such that the light source for a first spectacle wearer illuminates with a first color at a time of the state of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell and the light source for a second spectacle wearer illuminates at a time of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell of their spectacles with a second color different from the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: INOPTEC LIMITED ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG DEUTSCHLAND
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20230350234
    Abstract: A system for the color coding of objects in the field of view of a plurality of spectacle wearers includes a pair of spectacles per spectacle wearer. Liquid crystal cells of at least one spectacle lens of the spectacles are so designed that a transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cells may be switched between high and low transmission states. The system also includes one RGB light source per spectacle wearer and means for controlling or regulating the luminance times, color and intensity of the RGB light source such that the light source for a first spectacle wearer illuminates with a first color at a time of the state of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell and the light source for a second spectacle wearer illuminates at a time of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell of their spectacles with a second color different from the first.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventor: Ralf G.J. KNOLL
  • Patent number: 11733548
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement, including by glare suppression. The spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement includes spectacles and a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control and the liquid crystal cell (LC) designed so that the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) may be switched between high and low transmission states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Inoptec Limited Zweigniederlassung Deutschland
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20230045449
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement, including by glare suppression. The spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement includes spectacles and a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control and the liquid crystal cell (LC) designed so that the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) may be switched between high and low transmission states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventor: Ralf G.J. Knoll
  • Patent number: 11347081
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement, including by glare suppression. The spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement includes spectacles and a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control and the liquid crystal cell (LC) designed so that the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) may be switched between high and low transmission states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: â‹…INOPTEC LIMITED ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG DEUTSCHLAND
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20200192124
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement, including by glare suppression. The spectacles, systems and methods for visibility enhancement includes spectacles and a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC), the transmission (TR) of which may be varied by a suitable control and the liquid crystal cell (LC) designed so that the transmission (TR) of the liquid crystal cell (LC) may be switched between high and low transmission states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventor: Ralf G.J. Knoll
  • Patent number: 10613352
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, system and methods for visibility enhancement by glare suppression. The spectacles, system and methods for visibility enhancement by glare suppression includes a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC) the transmission (TR) of which can be switched between transmitting and blocking. Furthermore, the spectacles comprise an eye tracker (ET) which can detect the viewing direction of the eye. spectacles, system and methods further include at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, said sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens in a spatially resolved manner. The sensor can determine the brightness of the visible light incident on it from the viewing direction of the eye detected by the eye tracker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: INOPTEC LIMITED ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG DEUTSCHLAND
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20190391413
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles, system and methods for visibility enhancement by glare suppression. The spectacles, system and methods for visibility enhancement by glare suppression includes a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC) the transmission (TR) of which can be switched between transmitting and blocking. Furthermore, the spectacles comprise an eye tracker (ET) which can detect the viewing direction of the eye. spectacles, system and methods further include at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, said sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens in a spatially resolved manner. The sensor can determine the brightness of the visible light incident on it from the viewing direction of the eye detected by the eye tracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventor: Ralf G.J. Knoll
  • Patent number: 10444545
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for visual enhancement. The system suppresses glare and includes a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell, the transmission of which can be switched between high and low transmission states. The system also includes at least one sensor for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, the sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens. The system also includes a closed loop control circuit for regulating the transmission of the liquid crystal cell so that the times of the state of high transmission become shorter with increasing glare. The system includes a display for controlling the lighting times and the luminous intensity of the display during the state of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: INOPTEC Limited Zweigniederlassung Deutschland
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20190219844
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for visual enhancement. The system suppresses glare and includes a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell, the transmission of which can be switched between high and low transmission states. The system also includes at least one sensor for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, the sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens. The system also includes a closed loop control circuit for regulating the transmission of the liquid crystal cell so that the times of the state of high transmission become shorter with increasing glare. The system includes a display for controlling the lighting times and the luminous intensity of the display during the state of high transmission of the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventor: Ralf G.J. Knoll
  • Patent number: 10281745
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles. Said spectacles comprise a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC) the transmission (TR) of which can be switched between transmitting and blocking. Furthermore, the spectacles comprise an eye tracker (ET) which can detect the viewing direction of the eye. They further comprise at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, said sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens in a spatially resolved manner. The sensor can determine the brightness of the visible light incident on it from the viewing direction of the eye detected by the eye tracker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Inoptec Limited Zweigniederlassung Deustchland
    Inventor: Ralf G. J. Knoll
  • Publication number: 20170199396
    Abstract: The invention relates to spectacles. Said spectacles comprise a spectacle lens having a liquid crystal cell (LC) the transmission (TR) of which can be switched between transmitting and blocking. Furthermore, the spectacles comprise an eye tracker (ET) which can detect the viewing direction of the eye. They further comprise at least one sensor (IL, IR) for measuring the brightness of the visible light incident on it, said sensor being arranged on the eye side of the spectacle lens and measuring the brightness entering through the at least one spectacle lens in a spatially resolved manner. The sensor can determine the brightness of the visible light incident on it from the viewing direction of the eye detected by the eye tracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventor: RALF G.J. KNOLL